


Lost in Translation

by Soleya



Series: Fifty First Dates [3]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:48:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23730352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soleya/pseuds/Soleya
Summary: Well, it was *supposed* to be their first date....
Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill
Series: Fifty First Dates [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1707853
Comments: 21
Kudos: 114





	Lost in Translation

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for the reviews. I've been sewing and so haven't responded yet, but I have read them all and they're lovely. Thank you.

“So, how often does this happen, exactly?” Cameron Mitchell’s voice was dry, because he was pretty sure he wouldn’t like the answer.

Daniel looked away. Sam rubbed at the bridge of her nose, leaving Teal’c to respond, “To which part of our predicament do you refer?”

“There’s so much to choose from,” Mitchell mused. “Let’s start with getting thrown in an alien jail.”

From her place on the dirt floor to her CO’s left, Sam checked her watch, sighed, and put her head down on her knees.

“It’s not… _un_ common,” Daniel hedged.

“Great. And how often is it your fault?”

“Often.” That came from both Teal’c, standing opposite them, and Sam, her voice muffled by her knees.

“Hey, now. That’s not fair,” Daniel protested. He sat on the floor next to Teal’c, leaning against the bars to the next cell. “If you guys had to try and determine every cultural norm within an hour of meeting an alien race, you’d screw it up occasionally, too.”

Carter raised her head to say something about the repercussions when _she_ screwed up at _her_ job, thought better of it, and put her head back down. But not before looking at the time again with a sigh.

“Sorry,” Daniel muttered.

“It has been several hours since Ambassador T’Karn attempted to contact the SGC,” Teal’c soothed. “Surely General Landry will make amends and we will be freed.”

“Surely,” Mitchell echoed dryly. “It’s not like Jackson insulted the king’s mother or anything. Oh, wait.”

The large metal door at the end of the corridor was out of sight, but the hinges were in sore need of oil, and all four members of SG-1 looked in that direction as it creaked open and a single set of footsteps headed toward them. Just one. In combat boots, for sure.

And Sam would have known that walk anywhere. “Oh, my god,” she groaned, burying her face in her knees again.

General Jack O’Neill rounded the wall and appeared on the other side of the bars. Mitchell scrambled to his feet to greet him immediately. “Sir.”

The others stayed where they were and Jack ignored him, his lips pressed together and his gaze intent on the woman on the floor. “Colonel, are you aware what time it is on Earth?”

Her blonde hair bobbed as she nodded without raising her head.

“I figure we should be sharing an overpriced dessert in romantic candlelight by now,” he told the top of her head. “But here we are.”

Mitchell’s head bobbed between them so fast it had to hurt. “ _That’s_ what you keep checking your watch for?” he asked incredulously.

“Come on; let’s go,” Jack drawled, pulling a skeleton key out of his pocket to unlock the cell door. Daniel made it off the floor before Sam did, but as he and Teal’c approached, the General held out a hand. “Oh, no. Not you two. You two stay.”

“What?” Sam and Mitchell asked in unison, confused. Oddly, neither Teal’c nor Daniel seemed to share the feeling. They just looked chagrined. Well, as much as Teal’c ever looked anything.

“They know what they did wrong,” Jack answered simply.

That wasn’t good enough. And though Sam rarely let personal things push her toward insubordination, this was immensely personal. Standing her ground, she stared at him. The General, in turn, looked at Daniel.

“I….” The archaeologist’s toe stubbed at the dirt. “Jack made me promise I wouldn’t stick my foot in my mouth and get us stuck and make you miss your first date.”

Her eyes slowly went wide.

“I was to supervise Daniel Jackson,” Teal’c informed her.

Completely nonplussed, only capable of staring at them, Sam pressed a hand over her mouth. Cam, though, started to laugh. Hard. Until Jack warned, “I’ll leave you here, too, Mitchell.”

Oh, yes, this was personal. Crossing her arms in front of her, she pressed, annoyed, “Then I’m staying, too. That was the deal: no special treatment. _Jack_.”

Sufficiently chastised, he stepped aside to let Mitchell out. And as Sam passed him, he offered in penance, “Dessert. Candlelight. It was gonna be expensive.”

“I know,” she murmured, disappointed. “I’m sorry.”

“Ambassador T’Karn will send you back in the morning,” Jack told the other two. “Tonight you’re paying penance for your sins.” And he slammed the cell door shut.

“If we hurry, we might be able to get the late-night menu at Seasons,” Sam offered as the trio headed for the exit. “Unless you ate without me. At this point, I wouldn’t blame you.”

“First date? Guaranteed, he did _not_ eat without you.”

“Butt out, Mitchell.”

“Yes, sir.”

The door creaked shut behind them.


End file.
